On Saturday, June 12, 2004, New York Falun Dafa practitioners were invited for the first time to participate in the "Flag Day Parade" hosted by the Brooklyn Spanish Community. The Spanish community is next to the Chinese community and there was another procession composed of Chinese people in the parade: they are from the Brooklyn Chinese Association.
It was a sunny day with gentle breeze. In the entire parade procession, the Falun Gong practitioners' procession was extremely bright and eye-catching. Practitioners holding the banner "Falun Dafa Is Good" led the procession, which was ended with a banner reading "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." Wearing yellow T-shirts imprinted with English and Chinese words, "Falun Dafa," "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance," and "Stop Persecuting Falun Gong," practitioners looked energetic with smiles on their faces. The songs "Pu Du" and "Ji Shi" composed by Dafa practitioners were played along the route. Spectators watched, cheered, praised and smiled. They were happy for the coming of Falun Dafa. The truth-clarifying materials fell short of demands.
At the parade ending point, different processions took group pictures. Colourful flags were displayed on the tall wall, among which, Dafa banner with words, "Falun Dafa Is Good" and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" were extremely eye-catching.
A Chinese person was very pleased to watch all of these and accepted the truth-clarifying materials. Another loudly spoke to his cell phone, "Falun Gong!" Some even asked us if we had a performance. The organisers of the Brooklyn Chinese Association looked very serious, but Dafa practitioners' kind and cheerful outlook as well as their age and diverse nationality must have left a deep impression on them as well as spectators.
The parade organisers were very happy for our participation and welcomed us to come back next year. They also invited us to attend the street fair in September.
In the end, Falun Gong practitioners participating in the parade took a group photo and concluded this parade in the song, "Falun Dafa Is Great."
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